From the Desk of a Wantrepreneur

From the Desk of a Wantrepreneur

Just as you can’t judge a book by its cover, you can’t judge an entrepreneur by his/her desk. Or can you?

Standing desk, traditional wood-trimmed table, lap-desk, or a makeshift corner of a dining table, the desk is an entrepreneur’s kingdom. Key characteristics of the desk can tell a lot about the type of entrepreneur and the type of work being done.

Clutter

A meticulously clean desk may indicate a a deeply-entrenched entrepreneur, and perhaps someone who must think logically about their business. A cluttered desk may indicate more creativity and divergent thinking. Here are some more details about the nuances between clean and messy desks.

Stuff

The daily work of an entrepreneur is timely, pressing, and relevant. The daily work of a wantrepreneur, on the other hand, is superficial, distracting, and fleeting. For example:

1. Other work – the wantrepreneur probably has a day job or is keeping his/her options open. A resume, a “day job” laptop, and the job postings section may be tell-tale signs.

2. Motivational propaganda – many entrepreneurs have a guru or a mentor, but only wantrepreneurs surround themselves with the books, audio, video they think will make them then entrepreneur they want to be.

3. To do lists – the wantrepreneur will add in unnecessary non-business related items just to make the to do list seem longer – e.g. doing the laundry, going to the bathroom, etc.

So what type of desk do you have? And is there room for improvement? Let us know in the comments below.

Note: The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views held by Inc42, its creators or employees. Inc42 is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied by guest bloggers.

Author

Kriti Vichare is a marketer, entrepreneur and cartoonist. She is the illustrator and co-founder of EntrepreneurFail, a comic about the ironies of starting a company. She is also the founder of IdeaKube, a company that facilitates brainstorming and networking through ‘ideation parties.’ Kriti was a former marketer at PepsiCo and Kraft Foods, holds an MBA from NYU Stern, and a BS and MS from Carnegie Mellon University.